The demolition project of the Terminal Cold Storage and Ice Co. (also known as “The Ice House”)—and more recently named Dayton Frozen Solutions—has begun, making way for new opportunities for students on the campus of Chaminade Julienne Catholic High School. In 2023, CJ purchased the property, expanding the footprint of the school’s campus to more than 20 acres. The razing of the eight-story abandoned building on the south side of Eaker Street, just west of Ludlow Street, will complete the school’s vision of making Emmanuel Church the focal point of its campus.
CJ officials explored options for repurposing the 100-year-old building for student use, but assessments deemed the building unsuitable for renovation, so the downtown high school recently secured the funding and permits for its demolition. For now, the land the Ice House stands on will be turned into an open green space.
According to old Dayton Daily News articles, the Terminal Cold Storage and Ice Co. was built in 1922 as a model cold storage and refrigeration facility serving the Dayton region. This storage was crucial for perishable food before the invention of modern-day refrigerators or freezers. Meat packers, grocers, dairy farmers, and pharmacists were just a few of the many businesses that used this 275,000-square-foot storage warehouse.
The United States government used the building to distribute butter, cheese, and other food products for Ohio’s school lunch programs. The company created and supplied ice to restaurants, groceries, and eventually, households with iceboxes. Its business was profitable enough to warrant expanding the original building three times over the years.
The building’s location on Eaker Street was ideal because, in the wintertime, workers could harvest ice from the Great Miami River, which was a few blocks away. It was also across the street from the B and O commission yards, which allowed the business to ship ice blocks out to surrounding communities by train.
“We certainly appreciate the crucial role and innovative role that the Ice House played in the growth of the Dayton community in its time,” said John Marshall, Chaminade Julienne’s director of development. “We are in new times and are very excited for the new ways in which this area of downtown can serve students. We look forward to involving the CJ community in taking a fresh look at our expanding campus, and how we will imagine new growth through the creation of an updated campus master plan next year.”
The fencing was put up on Monday, Jun. 9. Jacob Lane, the alley between the Ice House and Emmanuel Church, will be closed for three months as the demolition crew takes every precaution to protect the church building. The actual date of demolition has yet to be determined.
Here is a link to a video of John Marshall, CJ’s director of development, touring the Ice House last summer.